Chapter 1

1998

Harry was lying on a camp bed in the attic of the Burrow, allowing the Weasley's to have some quality time after Ron's absence, helping Harry the previous year, hunting down the horcruxes. It had been a few months since the second wizarding war but it still seemed like yesterday to Harry, What would happen now that Voldemort was gone? Harry asked himself frequently. His thoughts were put on hold when Mr. Weasley entered the room.

'Harry, Molly has sent me up here to get you'

'I'm really sorry...' Replied Harry.

'We know what you were doing, How many times do we have to tell you, we are pleased, if you didn't do it a lot more people would have been killed. Now come on downstairs or Molly will be up here.' Mr. Weasley told him. Harry sat up and smiled.

'Thanks Mr. Weasley.'

When Harry entered the kitchen he wasn't hit with the usual cheerful Weasley Smiles and Laughs but an unnerving silence, the only sound was from the bacon sizzling in the pan.

'Harry dear, do sit down' Said Mrs. Weasley's dull voice. Harry sat down in the chair nearest to him. Ron gave him a nod from the other side of the table, Harry could see Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Percy, all looking miserable, sat out by the pond and Ginny was sat silently next to Ron looking uncomfortable. Noticing someone was missing, Harry looked towards the living room, his heart sank. George was sat in his and Fred's usual spot beside the window. He looked awful; his eyes weren't bright and mischievous anymore but, sad and empty.

'Breakfast everyone' called Mrs. Weasley to the house. One by one everyone piled around the table, everyone except George.

'George, Come on you need to eat, Fred...' but at the mention of Fred's name his eyes filled up and he turned further away from the rest of the family, burying his face into his quivering hands.

'Just leave him Ronald' Mrs. Weasley sniffed. 'This has hit him hard.'

*

It was November, and the cold wind could be heard howling from inside the Burrow, rattling against the windows. Harry shivered, and looked out the window, half expecting to see something somewhere in the darkened surroundings. He could not believe that it was all over; it seemed too good to be true.

The next morning Ron was talking to Harry about going back to Hogwarts to take his N.E., Ginny unexpectedly crept into the room. She gave Ron a look which told him that she wanted to be left alone with Harry. Ron left, but nothing was said, Ginny just stared at the floor and Harry couldn't find the right words to say, but suddenly she was on top of him, kissing him, just like she used to, and Harry felt a sudden jolt of happiness, he loved Ginny and hoped she felt the same. They were kissing for several minutes when Hermione entered the room, she was distraught.

'Oh sorry, do you want me to...' Hermione started before falling to the floor and crying.

'No I was just going' Ginny lied. 'What's the matter' she quickly added putting a reassuring hand on her trembling shoulders.

'My Father' she whispered before bursting into tears and falling face down on Harry's bed. 'He was murdered by a death eater'

'What, Where, How' Harry said taken aback and getting up to comfort her.

'Fenrir Greyback found out where they were somehow and ...' and she burst into tears again.

'He was lying there, covered in scars and cuts' she mumbled through her hands, Harry put his arms around her, Ron entered the room and noticed Hermione, she got up and brushed the dust off her trousers.

'Lavender was on holiday in Australia, back to together are we FINE!' she shouted and stormed off, almost knocking Ron off his feet on the way past, Ron's ears went scarlet and he raced after her, along with Ginny who cursed him and slapped him round the back of the head.

"But, I haven't spoken to lavender for ages, I don't know what you mean" he shouted after her.

*

It was the funeral of Nymphadora Tonks, a twenty five year old Auror, and Remus Lupin, an ex defence against the dark arts professor and last remaining marauder, months after their heroic deaths during the battle of Hogwarts. So many funerals had been booked as a result of this, that it looks months to get a booking for the service. The day before, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys were at the funeral of Fred weasley, it was so distressing that Harry spent the rest of the evening drinking firewhiskey with Ron, Percy, Bill, Charlie, George and Mr. Weasley, to dull the pain and anger away. Harry had also attended the funeral of Severus Snape, which he himself organised as he had no family or friends, as well as Colin Creevey and many others, each one had made him feel worse, despite winning the battle. Harry felt happier at the sight of the scores of witches and wizards that had come to pay their respects to Tonks and Lupin, as Lupin always thought wizards saw him as a monster, due to being a werewolf, and that they treated him as an outcast during his lifetime, he also felt Tonks had become an outcast for marrying him. Harry made a speech about his fondness for Tonks and Lupin and how they had left him the honour of being their son's godfather. Harry had barely given the matter of being a godfather any thought until he saw the turquoise haired baby with his grandmother Andromeda in the crowd.

'May I hold him?' he asked nervously after the service.

'Of course' she said hoarsely. Harry cradled Teddy in his arms and his hair moved from green to a deep blue. He was a metamorphmagus, just like his mother. Harry chuckled and decided he would be the godfather that Sirius Black had wanted to be for him.

'You are the only other family he has' Andromeda said softly after a few minutes.

'I will always be here for him' he told her determinedly. Harry knew that Teddy did have other relatives down the Black family line, but wouldn't see him as apart of the family as Andromeda was blasted off the family tree because she married a muggle born, Ted Tonks, who had lost his life for being such.

'It will be nice to have a male presence in his life' she told Harry. 'He has no one now that Ted and Remus, his father, are … are dead.' Harry gave a reassuring nod and smiled gently.

'Teddy will be seeing a lot more of me' he told her. 'That is if you will allow it' he added quickly, He was thinking about his own parents and how Teddy had found himself in the same position, although he wouldn't live with muggles in a cupboard under the stairs, he would grow up learning how great his parents were.

'Allow it? Of course, you can see him as much as you like'

Little did Harry know, Teddy would be visiting Harry so often, he would become part of the family.

*

During the last month, all Harry could think about, apart from the funeral, was Ginny. He had a decision of letting his feelings rip his insides or confront her. After thinking long and hard about what he wanted to say, he entered her room. The words 'we need to talk' had barely left his lips, when he noticed Ron, sitting in the corner of the room clutching his knees to his chest and rocking slightly.

'Ron, are you alright mate?' all the reason Harry had come in the room for were forgotten as he was too worried about Ron.

'We didn't want to worry you, it only happened about an hour ago.' Said Ginny. Harry felt his head spin, he wanted to scream.

'WHAT! WHAT HAPPENED?'

Ron replied in a soft, croaky voice:

'Hermione has gone.'

There was a painful silence, Harry couldn't think straight.

'But she must have had a good reason' Harry told Ron franticly.

'No' Ron paused 'She told me she loved me and she didn't look like herself and she just went' He sobbed.

'Well we have to tell someone.' Harry told him. They all ran downstairs, Fleur pulled Ginny into a hug on her way down, thinking it as a loving gesture towards her family member, but it couldn't have come at a worse time. Harry and Ron quickly escaped upstairs before they too were held back.

'You didn't say anything' complained Ron

'I couldn't, they don't need to worry, and I've got an idea.' Replied Harry 'KREACHER' He shouted.

CRACK

'Yes master' said Kreacher bowing.

'I need you to find Hermione, take us to her' Harry told him.

'Yes master' he answered holding onto Ron and Harry's fingers like a baby. And then just like always, the feeling of being forced through a tight rubber tube.

They had arrived; there was a small pop as Kreacher disappeared. Harry and Ron where standing outside an old abandoned and broken house covered in moss and ivy. Suddenly there was a scream it sounded like Hermione. Harry and Ron rushed to her aid, and then they heard a familiar barking voice shout.

'REDUCTO' at the building, which was now behind them, the result: half the house collapsed landing on Harry, he was trapped.

'HARRY!' shouted Ron

'IM OK, GO AND HELP HERMIONE' Harry shouted back. Ron nodded and ran off towards the greying man, shouting 'STUPEFY' several times but missing every time. Hermione was on the floor, she managed to get up but her face was covered in cuts and bruises.

'You killed my father' she screamed 'STUPEFY' it hit the man in the chest, knocking him flying through the last remaining wall of the house, bringing more rubble on top of Harry, crushing his wrist.

'I don't know what you mean but…' came the barking voice of Fenrir Greyback again.

'The dark mark was there, you know what the bloody hell I mean, you stupid Bustard' Hermione shouted.

Greyback leapt up from the floor, covered in dust.

'So whose young and brittle bones will I be chewing first' growled Greyback licking his lips 'I haven't a clue who your father is, but now that you're here...' He ran for Hermione, stunning Ron on the way, before shouting 'EXPELLIARMUS' knocking Hermione's wand out of her hand.

'PETRIFICUS TOTALUS' shouted Ron from his position on the floor. Greyback froze and fell on Hermione with his mouth wide open, nearly piercing her cheek with his disgusting yellow fang-like teeth. Ron and Hermione ran towards the place where Harry was buried under the rubble, they began to lift bits of damp wood, to try and get him out.

'AVADA KEDAVRA' barked Greyback, who had now got to his feet again. The curse flew past both Ron and Hermione but still they both ducked.

'SECTUMSEMPRA' shouted Ron and blood spurted from Greyback's chest, also ripping his filthy ragged Prison robes; he fell on the floor with pain. Hermione and Ron nodded at each other as if they had something planned.

'AVADA KEDAVRA' They both shouted together, a flash of green light came from the end of both of their wands knocking Greyback flying backwards off his feet and landing sprawled across the floor, eyes wide open.

'That will teach him' Hermione said with a tear running down her face after catching her breath she continued 'at least I avenged my dad, even if I didn't make it slow and painful.' And Ron gave a worried sort of laugh; as if he was scared of her, together they helped Harry out of the rubble from the once standing house and apparated back to the burrow. Nobody noticed they had gone but Ginny was sat on her bed looking very pale, but was pleased to see Hermione safe and well, she jumped up and squeezed her.

'Oh, everyone I have brilliant news' Charlie beamed. 'I'm going back to Romania' he finished. But the room stayed quiet.

'Oh that's great dear' Mrs. Weasley sighed. She sat down at the table looking disappointed.

'I thought it was good news' Charlie said.

'We never see you anymore Charlie your always in Romania, What's more important your family or your poxy Dragons' Ginny told him. He thought for a while.

"Sorry" and he left the burrow.

*

Harry needed to think about his career, he couldn't just lounge about the Burrow all the time and not pay his way, at first he planned to take his N.E.W.T.S, but that week Kingsley shacklebolt came to the burrow to speak to Harry, Ron, Hermione and George. He explained their shortage of aurors and he offered them, along with any other people who fought in the war, the right training to become one.

After a moment of thinking Hermione replied.

'Thanks for the offer but no sorry, I thought about working within the ministry but not as an auror, and I need to take my N.E.W.T.S before I start thinking about a job'

Ron had a different approach, he was desperate to work for George in "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes" but soon decided to work part time until he became an auror. Harry had no arguments at all to go against becoming an auror. And George revealed that he had vowed to keep his shop open, no matter what happens.

"Great, congratulations on becoming an auror! You need to sign up in May for training but we may ask you to take in brief missions from time to time … oh and at the end of the training you will take an exam but only the stupid people fail and if you fail you don't become an official auror, but I'm sure you won't" he finished and left the burrow and disappeared in an impressive puff of smoke.